Jon Heyman reports that the Giants are no longer going to try to re-sign Carlos Beltran. Because when you add an .809 OPS outfielder like Melky Cabrera and take away a .910 OPS outfielder like Beltran, your severe offensive problems are all better.

Oh, I don’t know. I’m just being mean. I’m sure they have their reasons. Spending money on someone like Jose Reyes could be a reason. We don’t know. The point is, Beltran is now going someplace else. Probably Boston, if everyone who thinks they know a little bit about this sort of thing can be believed.

That makes two rent-a-player situations in Beltran’s career. With the 2004 Astros and the 2011 Giants. he hit well in both of them. Really darn well in 2004, but better than most people realized this past season too. Oh well. Some people are meant to be transitional figures, I suppose.

I wouldn’t mind watching him looking lousy in those orange juice commercials the Feesh plan to drape over their players this season. At least, he knows how to get an occasional hit when he sees runners on second and third, something his teammates couldn’t figure out how to do very often last season. And of course, he’d come a lot cheaper than Pujols or Fielder (hahahahahaha) – and Hanley could always use some company on the DL. It’s lonely out there.

That .100 difference in OPS would look significant if we weren’t talking about a healthy 27 year old who appears to be entering his prime and is in the final year of his contract vs. an injury-prone 34 year old free agent.

This. Plus, Melky’s career OPS is much lower than that. Sure, he’s healthy and younger, but he’s never been as good as even Beltran’s lesser years, and 2011 looks more like an outlier than a breakthrough.

As a Giants fan I’m OK with this. Sure I’d love to have Beltran if money wasn’t an issue, but he is 34 yrs old and has averaged 95 games the last 3 seasons. He always looks like he is one awkward slide away from the DL. The Giants can’t afford another huge contract on a guy that can’t be depended on. His insistence on playing RF is another issue I have with him. I miss seeing Schierholtz and his gun out there. OF isn’t there most pressing need, and I would prefer to see them spend money on a SS or a younger/healthier player. Hopefully the Giants aren’t done dealing, because I can’t face another season of watching this stellar rotation consistently getting L’s while giving up 1 or 2 runs.

Very happy to hear this as a Giants fan. Wasn’t happy about the trade or the way he rolled into our clubhouse. He didn’t have good clubhouse mojo and I really hated hearing him say, “I would consider signing here if…”